Arthur Donaldson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Donaldson
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Donaldson, c. 1945
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| Leader of the Scottish National Party | |
| In office 5 June 1960 – 1 June 1969 |
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| Preceded by | James Halliday |
| Succeeded by | William Wolfe |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 December 1901 Dundee, Scotland |
| Died | 18 January 1993 (aged 91) Forfar, Angus, Scotland |
| Political party | Scottish National Party |
| Spouse | Violet Bruce (m. 1932–1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Detroit Institute of Technology |
| Profession | Journalist, Business executive, Farmer |
Arthur William Donaldson (born December 13, 1901 – died January 18, 1993) was a Scottish journalist and politician. He was a very important leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). He led the party from 1960 to 1969.
Contents
Who Was Arthur Donaldson?
Arthur Donaldson was a Scottish politician who believed Scotland should be an independent country. He worked as a journalist and later became a farmer. He spent many years fighting for Scotland's future.
Early Life and Adventures
Arthur Donaldson was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1901. His father, George Donaldson, worked with yarn. Arthur went to Harris Academy and finished school in 1917. He passed five important exams.
After school, he worked in Dundee helping to record births, deaths, and marriages. This was from 1918 to 1920. Then, he started his career as a journalist. He worked as a reporter for The Courier newspaper in Dundee.
A Scot Abroad
In 1923, Arthur decided to move to the United States. He hoped to find work as a journalist there. However, he didn't find a journalism job right away. Instead, he found work in Detroit, Michigan.
He became a secretary for an engineering boss in the car industry. He also went to the Detroit Institute of Technology to study engineering. Later, he worked for the Chrysler Corporation. He helped with their deals with the United States Department of Defense.
Even though he was living in the United States, Arthur cared deeply about Scotland. He watched the movement for Scottish independence grow. In 1928, he joined the new National Party of Scotland as an overseas member.
In 1932, Arthur married Violet "Vi" Bruce. She was also a Scot living abroad, from Forfar. They lived in Washington D.C.. Arthur continued to work for Chrysler. In 1934, he joined the Scottish National Party (SNP). Three years later, he moved back to Scotland with his family. They settled in Lugton, Ayrshire, where he started a chicken farm. In 1944, he moved to his wife's hometown of Forfar. There, he worked in shops and as a freelance journalist.
Getting Involved in Politics
Arthur Donaldson met Robert McIntyre, another important SNP member. This meeting made Arthur even more involved in the party.
Standing Up for Scotland
During the Second World War, in May 1941, police searched Arthur's home. They thought he and other SNP members were doing "subversive activities." This was because they supported the Scottish Neutrality League. This group wanted Scotland to stay neutral in the war.
Arthur was arrested and held in prison for six weeks. He was sent to Kilmarnock Prison and then to Barlinnie Prison. No proof was ever shown, and Arthur was never charged with a crime. Some people said his arrest was because he protested against Scottish women being sent to work in factories in England. Some even called him a political prisoner.
Being arrested did not stop Arthur from his political work. He stayed a member of the SNP through the 1940s and 1950s. During this time, the party was not very strong. Many people focused on the Scottish Covenant led by John MacCormick. MacCormick had left the SNP in 1942. He wanted the party to support "devolution" (more power for Scotland within the UK) instead of full independence. Arthur thought this split was more about personalities than different ideas.
After the split in 1942, Arthur Donaldson became a key figure in the SNP, along with Robert McIntyre. Arthur ran as an SNP candidate for Dundee in the 1945 general election. He did not win. In 1948, he moved to Forfar and became the editor of the Forfar Dispatch newspaper.
He also became active in local government in Angus. He was a member of Forfar Town Council from 1945 to 1968. He also served as the town's treasurer. From 1946 to 1955, he was a member of Angus County Council. Because of these local jobs, Arthur did not run in the national elections of 1950, 1951, and 1955. But in 1959, he ran for the Kinross and Western Perthshire area.
Leading the Scottish National Party
Arthur Donaldson became the leader of the SNP in June 1960. He was chosen without anyone running against him. He took over from James Halliday. During Arthur's time as leader, the SNP started to grow a lot. It became a much more important party in Scottish politics.
Arthur was a great speaker. He inspired many supporters. He traveled around, visiting party groups and areas. The party gained many new members, opened more local groups, and got more votes. This growth was amazing during the 1960s.
Growing the Party
Arthur ran as the SNP candidate against Sir Alec Douglas-Home in the Kinross and Western Perthshire by-election in November 1963. He lost this election. But during his time as leader, the SNP started doing well in elections. They won the Hamilton by-election in 1967. They also got more votes than any other party in the 1968 Scottish local elections. Arthur also ran for Parliament in Kinross and Western Perthshire in the 1964 and 1966 general elections.
Despite this success, some people criticized Arthur. At the SNP's yearly meeting in 1967, he faced a challenge for his leadership from Douglas Drysdale. But Arthur easily won and stayed leader. In January 1969, Arthur said he planned to step down as SNP leader. Many party members felt the SNP needed a younger leader. Arthur was 68 years old at the time.
However, many SNP groups and members asked him to change his mind. They wanted him to stay because a general election was coming soon. So, he decided to run for leader again at the 1969 SNP meeting. But at the meeting in June that year, the SNP's deputy leader, William Wolfe, was elected leader. Wolfe got 544 votes, while Arthur got 238.
Later Years and Legacy
Arthur ran as an SNP candidate for Galloway in the 1970 general election. He came in second place. Arthur remained active in the SNP at local and national levels even into his eighties.
He passed away on January 18, 1993, in Forfar, at the age of 91.
